A. Related Applications
There are no applications related hereto now filed in this or any foreign country.
B. Field of Invention
My invention relates generally to wall mounted ski holders and more particularly to such a holder that is a unitary structure formed of resiliently deformable material with holding portion defined by partial severance.
C. Description of the Prior Art
The storage of skis in and about a skiing area and elsewhere creates an ever present problem. If skis are left about in a random fashion, especially in an area frequented by humans, there is a substantial probability that the humans and the skis may come into contact to the damage of either or both. Responsively various devices have heretofore become known for the orderly storage of skis in areas where they present no substantial hazard of damage to themselves or injury to humans.
A first class of ski storage devices includes selfsupporting storage racks which commonly are of substantial size, are supported on a horizontal surface, and store a substantial number of skis either individually or in pairs. Such racks have come into common use in skiing areas but they generally are large and bulky, relatively expensive, and they commonly occupy substantial space in areas where space is oftentimes at a minimum. Such racks normally are not adaptable to storage of single pairs or small numbers of skis by reason of their expense and size. These problems are accentuated when such racks are used for interior storage.
This first class of ski storage device is readily distinguished from a second class that provides relatively small, clip-like holding devices that are supported on a secondary structure, at a spaced distance above a supporting surface, to releasably hold and positionally maintain a pair of skis, or possibly individual skis if desired. This second class of holding device is distinguished from the larger, self-supporting ski racks in that they do not occupy any substantial horizontal area, they use already existing structures for support and store supported skis in immediate adjacency to a structure so that the skis do not create new hazards or occupy space that is generally otherwise usable. This second class of device may be quite readily and conveniently used inside enclosed structures as well as outside.
The second class of ski holding device, in the prior art, has generally taken the form of a base structure fastened on a vertical wall and movably supporting some sort of a hook-like holding element, normally pivotably mounted and biased by gravity to a downwardly angled supporting position. Such a holder generally supports a single pair of skis by frictional engagement between holding element and ski. The degree of ski support is not particularly great since the frictional engagement between the elements depends only on gravity. In fact, with such structures, the problem of support has been sufficient that various high friction surface coatings have been added, especially to the holding device, to assure sufficient frictional contact to positionally maintain skis being held. Such structures, in addition, have generally been made of metal to obtain desired mass, necessary rigidity and strength, and appropriate pivotable joinder of parts.
My invention differs from this second class of prior art by providing a ski holder formed as a unitary structure from resiliently deformable polymeric material. The holding structure per se is partially severed from the medial portion of the base so that it might be moved outwardly to engage a pair of skis in notches defined in the end portion thereof. The skis are held primarily by reason of resilient deformation of the holding structure itself, rather than necessarily by action of gravity on either the clip or the ski. The holding structure of my device is particularly configured and positioned so that skis are supported in their tip area, and this, coupled with the nature of the support structure and normal ski configuration, provides a positive support for skis that is not dependent upon gravity for its action, though the action may be aided by gravity. My device will hold and positionally maintain skis that are supported by some underlying surface, such as a floor, against gravity bias. My holder is particularly configured to provide both necessary strength and rigidity in the various portions where such characteristics are required, but it yet has such a nature as to be formable by molding from polymeric materials having appropriate resilient and elastic deformability.
My holder will hold skis of various sizes, shapes and types as it adjusts thereto by reason of its configuration, elastic deformability and positionability. In general the device is adapted to hold a pair of skis but it will also support individual skis if desired.
My invention differs from the prior art not in any single structure or function per se, but rather in the unique synergistic combination of all of the structures and functions that in combination constitute the invention as specified and claimed.